Moreton Hall Library, Suffolk.
about what competitive advantage our model brings.
Does the process of mutualisation detach library services from the democratic system, if so is it some- thing that can be remedied? It brings us closer to the democratic system and ultimately makes us more accountable. We are run by the commu- nity, through representatives from our Friends Groups on our Board, for the benefit of the community. Plus, we’re still accountable to the county council. This therefore means our model makes us directly answerable to representatives of the community through our Friends, our funders at Suffolk County Council and especially to the communities we serve every day.
Is delivering the mission of public libraries more aligned to the mutual system than the local authority one? If the council had the finances and wanted to take the library service back in house, what would the argu- ments be against that?
It depends on what you see as the mission of public libraries. Through a traditional lens it might be seen to be about educa- tion and social mobility. Of course, those are pillars of the current service, but we believe that it is now about so much more. We offer a kaleidoscope of services that reflect the needs of each community we serve and so meeting local needs is our
34 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
mission. Local authorities, like all large bureaucracies, need to implement a level of control and uniformity to function. This approach stifles the agility and flexibility that our model has achieved, ultimately reducing impact and return on investment.
How has becoming a mutual changed the relationship of the ser- vice with the wider profession? And how has it changed your employ- ees’/partners’ professionalisation? The wider sector has changed dramatically in my four years of working in libraries. There is a real sense of collaboration and innovation fostered by sector support organisations like CILIP. I think at times there can still be a bit too much insularity within the sector. While trying to stay engaged with the wider sector we see it as our role to try to push the boundaries whenever we can. Culturally we have worked hard to get colleagues to under- stand the extraordinary impact they have on people’s lives. This isn’t just about morale, it’s about developing a true sense of their value and their role in the fabric of our communities. It’s also about our identity as a charity that is bigger than the sum of its parts.
Being a library mutual and profes- sionalisation do not have to be mutually exclusive things. We have a group of pro- fessional, qualified staff to ensure that the ethics of librarianship remains at the core of what we do. We are committed to vary- ing CPD opportunities for our colleagues
to ensure what we offer meets the needs of communities. Whether that is through CILIP’s level 3 apprenticeship, core training from Libraries Connected or wider training such as that on mental health and wellbeing.
Can you describe your leadership style and the extent to which that is related to being a mutual? Also whether independence means a different view on risk and responsi- bility than within local authorities? I believe in what David Marquet described in his book Turn the Ship Around as the ‘leader leader’ model. This approach focuses on empowering colleagues across an organisation and encouraging them to use affirmative language, ultimately enabling them to make and implement decisions them- selves. This is what feeds our model and gives colleagues the freedom to do what they think will work for local people. As a result of the abiding culture, I believe we are a more positive ‘can do’ organ- isation who are willing to take risks to generate more impact.
To what extent do some of the successes of the last 10 years come down to mutualisation being an invigorating process, rather than innately to do with being a mutual, and whether you need to be wary of the model becoming tired? Huge cost savings have been achieved
September 2022
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